Article 35 A is sacred, we will give our blood to protect it: Tanvir

National Conference leader and political Advisor to Omar Abdullah, Tanvir Sadiq, while addressing a workers convention in Zadibal area of down town Srinagar, on Sunday, said “the special status of J&K is enshrined in the Constitution and it cannot be tampered with or removed. It is an article of faith.

All of us will and shall fight until death to protect Article 35A. Sadiq adding a note of caution added “if the article is tinkered with, the fallout will be disastrous.”

Sadiq further stated that, “Our president Dr Farooq Abdullah has echoed the sentiment of every citizen of Jammu, Kashmiri and Ladakh and we shall give our blood to protect the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.”

He, while referring to statewide implications of fiddling with Article 35 A, added that any changes in the Article would be catastrophic for the whole state and not just for the valley. “Whether it’s a youngster from Srinagar, Jammu or Ladakh, everyone will be equally affected if the Article is abrogated.”

Alluding to the PDP’s coalition with the BJP and its agendas, the NC leader said Mehbooba Mufti’s government was used as a political vehicle for the constitutional erosion of J&K’s special status. “It is Mehbooba Mufti and PDP who have facilitated this assault on Article 35A. PDP’s Agenda of the Alliance has been thrown into dustbin by the BJP.

The BJP has formally distanced itself from every single promise made by both parties in the document. It is ridiculous and laughable that Mehbooba Mufti talks about being alone supporting 35A when she has only herself to blame.”

Pointing out the omissions and commissions of the PDP, Sadiq asked, “What was the State government doing till the precise moment the Attorney General of India refused to file a counter affidavit to the PIL against 35A? If the PDP had really managed to get BJP to agree on a ‘status-quo’ on J&K’s special status (as stated in their ‘Agenda of the Alliance’), why didn’t the Central government go on record to defend Article 35A?”

“For how long will Mehbooba Mufti and the PDP befool the people of the State? No one will forget how they got GST implemented, the SARFESI Act enacted and the RSS rallies in Jammu and Doda allowed” Tanvir Sadiq stated. The NC leader also added, “Despite of being out of the alliance and the government the PDP helped the BJP with an abstention in the Rajya Sabha and, at the same time, the party is also talking about protecting Art 35A and presenting a united front to the BJP.” How, Sadid asked, does all this add up?”

Tanvir while reminding Mehbooba and PDP about the covert plan said, “Omar Abdullah, both inside and outside the State Assembly, warned you all about BJP’s active and covert plan to launch a judicial assault on Article 35A through hitherto obscure NGOs known to be affiliated with the RSS.

Despite these repeated warnings and red-flags raised by our party, Mehbooba Mufti and her Law Minister chose inaction and obfuscation on this crucial issue. These very people provided these NGOs with an open playing field by being callously indifferent and also deliberately mounting an inadequate and grossly deficient legal representation to defend Article 35A.

The disastrous lack of quality legal defence by the PDP-BJP government has been highlighted by the Supreme Court as well in a similar case under its purview where the State’s legal team failed to even conceive a basic affidavit explaining its position”.

“National Conference will not hesitate to protest in every nook and corner of the State if any tinkering is done with the State’s special status. We are reaching out and spreading awareness about the disastrous repercussions of any misadventure on Article 35A and will work with everyone to protect the special status of Jammu and Kashmir”, said Sadiq.

Block president Mushtaq Beigh, Youth President Imran Bhat, many prominent citizens and office bearers addressed and attended the meeting.